Butterfly fillet

Smaller, whole fish can be prepared by removing the head and cutting through either the back or belly side of the fish. The two small fillets remain joined along one side, creating a butterfly fillet when opened.

Types of Fish: herring, mackerel, rainbow trout, sardines, sea bass, whiting

Canoed fillet

The fish is gutted and filleted through the back with the head is left on. This leaves a ‘canoe’ style fillet, ideal for filling.

Types of Fish: herring, mackerel, rainbow trout

Fillet

Fillets are the most commonly used cut. The fish is taken off the bone to create a fillet which is then pin-boned. Fillets cut from larger fish can subsequently be cut into portions also known as supremes.

Types of Fish: cod, brill, dabs, Dover sole, gurnards, herring, lemon sole, megrim sole, monkfish, plaice, pollock, rainbow trout, salmon, sardines, sea bass, whiting

Goujons

Goujons are small strips cut from a fillet lengthways. These are usually prepared by coating and frying. Typically produced from white fish.

Types of Fish: cod, lemon sole, ling, plaice, pollock, whiting

Loins

Loins are cut from large fish. Typically, large loins will be cut into boneless suprêmes.

Types of Fish: monkfish, swordfish, tuna

Pin boned

Once a fish is filleted it may still contain tiny bones (pin bones). These can be removed by machine or more traditionally by hand with pliers.

Types of Fish: cod, haddock, mackerel, pollock, salmon, trout, whiting

Steak, darnes and troncons

These are terms for cutting portions right through the bone from the whole of a round fish.

Types of Fish: cod, hake, salmon

Suprêmes

These are cuts from large fillets or loins of fish yielding a thick boneless portion.

Types of Fish: cod, haddock, marlin, pollock, salmon, swordfish, tuna